Creme de Menthe Bars

This is my friend Kim. She was my “little sib” for two years in SWE (Society of Women Engineers) Big Sib-Little Sib mentoring program. She also became one of my closest friends and a fellow SWE officer.

During my final year of college, she brought a pan of creme de menthe bars to a SWE officer potluck. They were rich and sweet and had the perfect balance of mint and chocolate, with neither overwhelming the other. I begged her for the recipe for weeks.

For my bridal shower, Kelley asked everyone to bring a copy of their favorite recipe for me to take with me in my move to Ithaca post-wedding. When I opened Kim’s gift and saw the creme de menthe recipe, I did a little happy dance. There may have been a little cheering thrown in there, too.

Creme de Menthe Bars

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 24

This recipe comes courtesy of my good friend Kim. They are delicious at any time of the year, but are especially great for a holiday dessert.

Ingredients

For the bottom layer:

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 cups light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the middle layer:

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 shots) creme de menthe

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

For the top layer:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

For the bottom layer:

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13" baking pan.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate in the oil, stirring often.

Pour the chocolate into a large mixing bowl and beat with the brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour, salt, vanilla and baking soda, beating until well-mixed.

Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and bake at 350F for 15-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the pan. Allow to cool completely before adding the second layer.

For the middle layer:

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Spread over the cooled bottom layer and refrigerate. When the middle layer has hardened, add the top layer.

For the top layer:

Melt the chocolate in the oil. Stir until smooth, then spread over the top of the mint layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve.